204 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA chap. 



brought with us from the Guaso Nyiro was pretty 

 well exhausted and the men all rushed to the tiny 

 waterhole to get a drink. As the spring was a very 

 slow one it took a long time for all to get satisfied. 

 I noticed that when Abbudi got hold of the 

 pannikin he was not content with the water alone, 



"bowled over a very fine oryx."' 



but mixed a handful of mud from the bottom of the 

 spring with it, and swallowed the mixture with great 

 relish. When I asked why he drank such a horrible 

 concoction, he told me that it was to prepare his 

 inside for the trials of the journey, and that it was 

 absolutely necessary to do this when coming into a 



